


A Story of Bronze and Alabaster

by Whiyte



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Borealis users rise up, Budding Love, Cold before warming up, Eventual Smut, Everyone follow @tacomangolmao on twitter, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Le Monarque best bow, Romance, Slow Burn, helpless romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26017282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whiyte/pseuds/Whiyte
Summary: Setting the stage for a thing me and @tacomangolmao (follow her on Twitter) decided to work on for our characters!
Relationships: Original Exo Character(s)/Original Exo Character(s) (Destiny)
Kudos: 10





	1. V of Staves // II of Blades: The European Dead Zone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tacomangolmao](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=tacomangolmao).



Ever since the loss of the Hunter Vanguard, the Guardians of the Tower began moving further and closer to the outskirts of the Sol system. Despite the influx of patrols in the outer regions, reports said that many Guardians were making unsanctioned trips to the Reef, and while none of the remaining Vanguard, nor Guardians themselves would confirm nor deny these reports, it was apparent that, even after the death of Uldren Sov and the eventual discovery of the Dreaming City, some Guardians were still mourning over the loss, all in their own ways.  
  
This tale starts not at the Reef, far away from Humanity. In-fact, it is quite the opposite. As the sun sets on the European Dead Zone, a ship flies on by the drop zone, leaving a less than keen Hunter to stand in front of the always familiar chapel. With a quick look up to the open window, Devrim's rifle scope shone back, almost blinding his optics for a moment. With a nod to the window, and a subtle shake of the sniper's barrel, he turned, pulling out his Ghost.  
  
“Ineus… you just _had_ to pick here of all places, didn’t you?” The Hunter asked with a digital tone in his voice, he took his bow- a gift from the Black Armory after dealing with a certain Fallen threat- and held it with one hand. His eyes were drawn towards the detailed craftsmanship of the weapon. A bright marigold, a deep crimson, and a emblem of the House it stood for, Meyrin, a butterfly badge branded onto the side, out of the way.  
  
“You _do_ realize that the Vanguard put us here, right? I didn’t _pick_ anything!” She replied, an almost pouting look on her face as she tilted her black and yellow shell to show a sense of irritation, her spines almost as sharp as her Guardians wit.  
  
“Either way, we’re here now.” He finally relented, letting out a sigh before stepping away from the landing zone. “Anything big on the scanners? At least tell me the last Titan here didn’t take away all the fun.”  
  
“Hold on…” She said, a faint pulse of light coming from her before she looked back to the Hunter. “Well… previous patrols said some things about camps near that cove on the way to Firebase Hades.”  
  
“That’s _so far_ though! Couldn’t we have just landed there instead?” He jokes, a smirk visible even under his helmet.  
  
“ _*sigh*..._ Could you just… for _once_ , ask for your sparrow like a normal Guardian?” The Ghost asks, rolling her shell to the side, her LED eye rolling alongside it in response.  
  
“Ineus… you know I’m not a normal Guardian…” The Hunter began, watching as a thin, glowing sparrow transmatted beside them both, hopping on and giving Ineus one more glance.  
  
“I’m _your_ Guardian.”

* * *

The lingering twilight as the sun finished it’s day filled the woods of the EDZ with a dim, orange glow. Many would consider these parts dangerous, but one Hunter and Ghost have decided otherwise, a brown, dampened tent holding the two.  
  
“Mae…” The innocent voice of Pearl filled her Guardian’s ears as she sat up. Her purple earpieces standing out against her bronze plating, making her easily recognizable for her Ghost as she floated to her side. “Did you sleep well?” She continued with a hopeful tone in her question. The response she got was in the form of a tired groan as the Exo looked to Pearl, almost begging for more sleep. Her purple optics told the Ghost that she was still tired, her white marking across her face put on as lazily as she was in the morning.  
  
“Pearl… I know what you’re going to ask. Don’t.” She said, familiarity in her words, almost as if it was a tune she had grown used to.  
  
“Mae! Please… you’ve been away from the Tower for a month! When are you going to go back?” She pleaded as another tiresome sigh left the Exo that was now getting up, stretching to make sure her joints were as loose as possible.

“Preferably? Never.” She said, giving her Ghost a glance before continuing her stretches.  
  
“You can’t just hole yourself up here! Aether and Zen-” She began before the Hunter turned and cut her off with a single word.  
  
“ _Don’t_ .” She sneered, putting a finger in front of her shell, as an irate look in her eyes burned into her own.  
  
“No!” She denied, instead moving beside her and moving in her face. “You have been at this for too long! Aether and Zenith care about you very much and I don’t like seeing you like this!”  
  
“Do you even _remember_ what they did?” She asked, clearly offended at the innocence that emanated from Pearl.  
  
“ _They_ were helping a new Guardian.”  
  
“They were helping _Uldren_ ! A killer! _He. Killed. Cayde._ ” She said sharply, almost as if she was the only one that felt this way towards him. “Do you just expect me to give him a hug? Rub his... head and tell him that ‘it’s alright’? No! _Hell_ no! You can go to hell if you think otherwise.”  
  
“I’m not going anywhere without you! But you have to understand that you _have_ to let this go. You have to go back out there and move on!” Pearl pleaded, her LED lighting up only partially, as if to show sorrow.  
  
“You’ve been saying this, every day, for the past month! Stop! I’m not going to go back just to see his damn face every day!”  
  
“I’ll tell you every day until you come back, because whether you like it or not, I’m here with you, and I’m going to try and change your mind.”  
  
“You won’t! You’ve tried it, Zenith tried it, and don’t even get me started with _Aether._ ” She said, sneering at the last name.  
  
“Mae… I just want you to be happy.” Pearl said, a sad and somber tone in her voice as her LED dimmed.  
  
“Well you sure as hell aren’t helping right now, now are you?!” She replied, taking a jab at her where it hurt the most. Even for Maeve, she let out a quick breath at her own reply. “Pearl, I didn’t-”  
  
“No… you’re right. I’m just…” Pearl began, moving closer to the exit of the tent.  
  
“Pearl? Where are you going?” She asked, showing the first signs of actual care for the Ghost through that entire day.  
  
“I’m just… gonna go look outside. I’ll be back.” She continued, a hurt tone in her voice that she did her best to hold down as she transmatted herself outside of the tent to take a breath.  
  
Maeve felt as though she had to say something, but stopped herself. She knew what she was doing. The fact that her friends, hell- even the _Vanguard_ of all things, would help _him_ … it was inconceivable as she sat there in bed, the waning remnants of day leaving...  
  
...and soon after. Night came.

* * *

Pearl moved to the outskirts of the forest, reaching the winding cove that many Guardians had called just that, The Winding Cove. Scattered parts and roads, a crashed skiff above it all, covered in banners from the House of Dusk, it was all… quiet. Good for a Ghost like herself.  
  
“She _has_ to come around… she has to!” She assured herself as she let out a digital sigh. The sounds of the wildlife and puddles of water that had formed over the years led to a crescendo of ambience, allowing herself to calm down and take it all in.  
  
Just then, the sound of a sparrow nearing caught her attention, and quickly enough, a thin and sleek sparrow came by, a trail of light staying behind it as it moved, and soon enough, it’s rider, and their Ghost, got off, looking around.  
  
“Ah, here we are Ineus. Did the reports say anything else about the camps?” Altium asked as he kept his bow at his side, taking the time to soak in the view around the

“Nothing really, these were just preliminary reports…” She explained, her spined shell tilting down slightly to show disappointment. She watched as the Hunter pulled out an arrow, nocking it and readying himself.  
  
“What do you say we look into it?” He asked, a look on his face of interest and commonplace cockiness, much like any other Hunter.  
  
“Well- hold on. We got another Ghost around here.” Ineus said, a pulse of light coming from her and scanning the surroundings, before quickly pinging the nearby Ghost and making it show itself.  
  
With a cautious look, it came out, its shell was simple, a metal cover with two parts, and two pouches tied on each side. A vibrant sheen, almost that of a glass painting came off of the shell as the Ghost came close.  
  
“Oh- uh… hello!” It greeted kindly, a feminine voice behind it.  
  
“Still looking for your Guardian? Eh?” Ineus joked, the feeling extremely relatable for her.  
  
“M-me?! No I was just…” The Ghost seemed flustered at the assumption. “I was just moving away from my Guardian, that’s all… I’m Pearl.” She greeted.  
  
“Well… I’m Ineus, and this Guardian right here is Altium.” Ineus greeted in return, moving closer to Pearl and inspecting her inquisitively. “Say… where is your Guardian?”  
  
“She’s uh… we… I’m just taking a look around our camp.” She lied, clearly, but Altium knew not to push.  
  
“So… we’re here because of some reports about some camps in the area, would you or your Guardian know anything about those reports?” He asked, avoiding the clearly sensitive topic that she was hiding.  
  
Pearl shook her shell. “No, we’ve just been out here… on a break, and we’ve only dealt with a few Fallen, but nothing serious.”  
  
“Well… do you mind if we hear what she has to say? Just want to make sure that-” Ineus began to ask, Pearl shaking her shell more fervently and backed away slightly.  
  
“No! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you two, I don’t want to bother you anymore. I hope that-” Pearl continued, backing away more as Ineus seemed to follow her, curious as to what she was wanting to say. Just then, an orange net flew at Pearl, and as Ineus tried to transmat herself into Altium’s armor, she was caught as well.  
  
A glance around with his bow drawn, Altium quickly looked for the culprits.  
  
 _Cabal tech, the usual_ . He thought, feeling his bow tighten with an arrow ready to fire, when another shot fires and cuts through a leg, separating it and knocking him over behind a rock. Before he could even react and go after them, they were already speeding off, as the sound of Cabal cries and a Psion’s laugh faintly faded off in the distance.  
  
“Shit…” He says, sitting himself up and looking to the side, his right leg left foot-first in a puddle, sparks still flying from the stub of his leg.

* * *

Maeve sat in her tent, stuck in thought, pondering over what Pearl had said, not only today, but for the past month…  
  
 _Was it right to be here? For this long?_ She asked herself, memories of conversation between Zenith, Aether, and herself echoing through her mind.  
  
 _"What the hell are you doing? Aether?! That's him!"_ She remembered, seeing her friend, someone she trusted and knew, helping _him_ of all people.

 _Maeve… it isn't him. He doesn't know what he did anymore."_ She heard, from her and many others

 _"I-... Aether… if this is a joke, then it isn't funny. You know what he did to you… to me!"_ She tried to see him differently, but the only face that looked back was his… That voice was his... _everything_ she saw in him was Uldren, not an ounce of difference. 

_"Mae… Aeth is right… don't be so silly."_ Zenith had said, always trying to make everything right again by throwing in his voice. But that one word, that one word threw her over.

_"Silly?! Zen! That bastard took away our mentor! And Aether... He killed Cayde. You went after him and killed him! Now he's right here again and you just want to apologize?! If that's what you think, then you can't just take our fireteam and sh-"  
_

* * *

Just like the channels of a television, the sound of nearby gunfire caught her off guard, sending her to her feet as she realized who was missing.  
  
“Shit… Pearl.” She said, grabbing her helmet before moving to go and find her Ghost, to make sure that she was alright, and as each heavy step brought her closer to the Cove, she watched the orange glow of an interceptor covered in red quickly escape the area.  
  
 _Cabal… of course it was Cabal..._  
  
She moved closer to where it came from, looking around. “Pearl? Pearl where are you?!” She asked, desperation in her voice as she looked for her all too familiar shell, just as the cool damp rain began to drizzle down gently against it all.  
  
“Uh… hello?” A voice called out, before a pained grunt left it as well. “A-... A little help?”  
  
Nearing the source, with her gun held out and a light on, another Exo revealed itself to her, his leg laid nearby as he squinted, holding a hand up to cover his face. The Guardian before her was armored, his scuffed silver plating covering all the important parts of his body, and- aside from his aforementioned leg- he seemed to be in one piece.  
  
“Are you… Pearl’s Guardian?” He asked.  
  
“What? Y-yes! What the hell happened?” She asked, kneeling down to give the Hunter some assistance, his brown cloak coated in a dull colored mud.  
  
“Cabal got your Ghost… and mine… took them back to the Firebase.” He explained, sitting up with some assistance.  
  
“Shit… are you… alright?” She asked, more concerned about Pearl more than anything.  
  
“Yeah, those slugs do their job, despite being an Exo, but I’m alright.” He said, looking to the puddle where his leg laid. “You mind handing me my leg? I got something that’ll fix it in that pocket.” He said, trying to reach it but unable, just as Maeve grabbed it for him. “Thanks…” He said, reaching into the pouch on the side of the leg and pulling out a strange cylindrical device, a slight blue glow with it as he held it to where his leg and stump separated.  
  
“What are you…” She asked, watching as it scanned over the leg and began to repair it, slowly but surely.  
  
“Repair tools, work just like a Ghost, but extra shitty.” He joked, sighing as it finished repairing, there was still a hole clearly in his leg, but he seemed to stand on his own, despite initially struggling. “I’m Altium… by the way.”

“Maeve…” She said, holding her rifle at the ready.  
  
“Well Maeve…” He began, taking out his bow and checking it for damage before holstering it again.  
  
“You ready to go find our Ghosts?” Altium asked, moving forwards in the direction of the Interceptor.  
  
“What the hell do you plan on doing? Break into Firebase Hades?”

* * *

  
 ****_Maeve and Altium break into Firebase Hades_ _  
__  
_

* * *

“This is _stupid_ . Do you have any idea how _stupid_ this is?” Maeve said, upset that Altium’s plan was actually going to be breaking into Firebase Hades.  
  
“Come on, it’s simple. We go in there, figure out where they have our Ghosts, take them, and leave!” Altium said, leading them both through the brush and to the outskirts of the base, crouching down and looking at the Cabal that still kept the place fortified.  
  
“ _They_ have our Ghosts. We _don’t_ . What makes you so sure that they won’t just kill them?” Maeve asked, looking to Altium with her arms crossed.  
  
“Ever since the Red War ended, the Cabal have been trying too hard to harness the Light, they wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to study two Ghosts. But they made one mistake.” Altium explained, prowling through the brush, an arrowhead sticking out and ready to pierce the unattentive Legionare.  
  
 _Good. He hasn’t seen us._ He thought, pulling on his nocked arrow, ready to fire.  
  
“Humor me, what did they do?” Maeve asked, taking out her rifle as she watched him prepare his shot.  
  
“They forgot about us.” He said, releasing the arrow and watching it fly into the back portion of the Cabal, a void liquid spraying out over the back of the Cabal and onto the nearby mound. “Come on! We have to get in there before they notice us!” He said, his hushed tone turning excited.  
  
“You’re certain this is where they have our Ghosts?” She asked, quickly following behind the cocky Hunter.  
  
“I’m _certain_ .” He said confidently, heading to the motion activated entrance and opening it up, only to come face to face with a Centurion, two Psions faced away. Altium immediately recoiled, pulling at his bow to prepare a shot, but as he just got the arrow out, a pulse of Arc energy flew past him as he turned to see Maeve, Arc Staff in hand.  
  
“Let’s move then.” She said, twirling her staff as it faded out, a few sparks signifying where it came from as she slid behind a wall of crates.  
  
 _She’s an Arcstrider? Interesting..._  
  
With a peak over to her, she looked into the part of the room that Altium couldn’t see, turning to give a fervent nod as she glanced at the two Ghosts, stuck inside of an energy field unit.  
  
“Are they here?” He asked in a hushed tone, watching as she continued to nod. Before she could tell him anything further, he jumped out, the familiar feeling of an Arc Blade forming in his hand as he ran in, a sheen of arc energy enveloping him, making him invisible with his light.  
  
At the sounds, the Cabal prepared themselves, weapons at the ready, but as the Bladedancer appeared above the Centurion and cut into its oil tank, it was clear that none of them were prepared for what was to come. Maeve revealed herself as soon as the first cries of death filled the room, an Arc Staff forming in her hands as she gracefully struck the ground, taking out the Cabal nearby.  
  
“Maeve!” Pearl cried from the box, looking to the commotion to see her unforgettable Hunter coming to save her.  
  
“Altium!” Ineus said, watching as the Hunter landed atop a Cabal Legionary, thrusting his blade into its oil canister.  
  
“Hey, Maeve, how does a Arcstrider go about making jumps like that?” He asked, throwing his blade at another Legionary, before pulling it out of the still dying soldier as he turned to look to her. “You’re really good at that jumping thing, even better than me.” He complimented.  
  
Maeve was more worried about the Cabal attacking them from all sides, but her ears adjusted, almost like she was… flustered? “Hey, u-uh… Altium, was it? C-can we save the compliments for _after_ we get ourselves _and_ our Ghosts out of here?”  
  
“Right, sor-” He began, when everything seemed to slow down, watching as a Incendior prepared to fire at Maeve, a quick, swift blow sending it flying, the user’s body disintegrated by Arc energy and the tank flew into the approaching Cabal, sending them flying in different directions, which created a scene that was so beautiful in the moment, and all Altium could say was…  
  
“ _Wow~…_ ”  
  
As Altium gawked, the explosion seemed to cut the power to the room ,the boxes holding the Ghosts and they immediately flew to their respective Guardians.  
  
“Hey Ineus, you have fun without m-” Altium began, the Ghost entering into his armor to avoid anymore gunfire.  
  
“Less quipping, and more running, bolt brain.” She replied, her same sometimes-moody self.  
  
“Pearl!” Maeve said, elated at the sight of her Ghost.  
  
“Yeah yeah! I know! Not right now! Burning room right now, in the middle of a Cabal facility. We have to go, _now!_ ”  
  
At that moment, the reunited Guardians and their Ghosts escaped, and a few more dead Cabal and a sparrow race away from capture later, the group was left in the night, back in the cove and close to the edge of the woods, still recovering.  
  
“Why… the _fuck_ … did that work?!” Maeve said, clearly confused as to how they managed to pull it off, sitting against her sparrow for a moment as they caught their breath.  
  
Altium stood, letting out a grunt as he did. “Well… Maeev… Mehve? Look… _Mae_ , sometimes you just have to go in and get what’s yours. You know?” He walks over to her and offers a hand.  
  
She looks at it for a moment, pondering at the thought, but eventually takes it. “T-thanks…” She said, trying to put her cold exterior back on to show. “You got my Ghost back, and I know how long a trip to the Farm can take at a time like this, so… do you mind sleeping out at my camp? You won’t have a bed, but you’ll have somewhere to keep warm.”  
  
“Sure. I could use some rest after that stress-free day.” He joked, following the Exo as she led them all back to the camp, and after a moment dealing with the fire, she sat back and looked to the Hunter, taking off her helmet.  
  
“Like I said, it isn’t much, but it’s Pearl and mine’s. You hungry?” She asked, fiddling with her hood strangely.  
  
“I could use something. Yeah.” He replied, watching as she moved her hood off of her head, revealing her face. An Exo… like Altium, her ear pieces prodding out from her hood, holes made specifically for them to poke out of. A paint splotch the only paint color she had on her head, her bright purple eyes gazing back into him when he remembered.  
  
“Shit! I haven’t taken this thing off at all!” He laughed, taking a hand and removing the helmet, setting it to the side for Ineus to transmat.  
  
  
  
For Maeve, she saw this Hunter, one that had helped her out, and he removed his helmet, revealing a more rounded, masculine head. Bright, white-colored eyes shone, almost acting as headlights and the markings on his head and ears almost matched her eyes, a bit darker than what she preferred.  
  
“U-uh… Maeve? Can we listen to the thing you found?” Pearl asked, showing up beside her again and looking at something that poked from the bag, it was a... radio? A music player?  
  
A sigh left her mouth, but she looked to her with a roll of her eyes. “Sure… go ahead.” She said, leaning back, falling onto the ground and began to look up to the sky. Altium, although curious, stayed quiet and copied her idea, leaning onto the ground, looking up, and appreciating the stars for what they were.  
  
And soon, a [ song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T3ofoKfEoY) began to play...  
  


* * *

"Uh... you know what she's even saying in that?" Altium asked, looking over to Maeve questionably as the song continued.  
  
"Not a word." She said, sending the two back to their silent appreciation.  
  



	2. V of Staves // II of Blades: The Farm, I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two Exo Hunters head to the Farm for a resupply, but find more than what they bargained for...

The Farm, a place away from the City that felt just as safe. Ever since the Red War, people from all across Earth had made their way to it, hearing word of easy transport to the fabled Last City. For two Guardians, and especially Hunters, such as Altium and Maeve, it was nothing new, considered a social space to resupply before scattering about the planet or even off planet. Now, the Alabaster and Bronze Exos found themselves at the entrance, hidden by brush and ruined buildings, eagerly needing a resupply before heading back out to the European Dead Zone.  
  
"How many times have you been here since you started camping out?" Altium asked, looking to the sides as fields sprawled out over the Farm, civilians and guards moving about as freely as they could.  
  
"The Farm? I've taken a few stops here, but I never stayed for long." Maeve explained as they continued, passing by a civilian family enjoying what they could while they were there. A child following close behind, demanding to go and pet the cattle off in the distance, all to no reply. "There's just too much going on for me to relax, it's... irritating... to say the least."  
  
"Well, I know what you mean, but you get used to it after a while. I even find it comfortable." Altium said, a smile on his face as he watched the family go on by. "I normally take my time when I come through, lots of Guardians do."  
  
"Not me, like I said, I _prefer_ just coming through and leaving as soon as possible. Just like right now." She said, putting a faster pace in her step, getting ahead of Altium as they neared the all-too-familiar building that gave The Farm its name. Inside the decrepit house, a woman sat, tending to an Awoken man who sat with a sling, and Maeve approached her.  
  
"Demi, did you get my ping?" Maeve asked, Pearl coming to her side as they watched her tighten the sling on the man.  
  
"Yeah, I got it, and I thought I told you that a _large_ group of civilians just came through, and until the Tower gets back with us about a resupply, nobody's getting anything." She said, not even taking the time to look at the Exo, instead taking a syringe and gently sticking it into the man.  
  
"Well, how long until I can get my supplies?" She asked, almost irritated at the news, her arms crossed and a twitch of her earpiece, she tried her best to be patient, despite how futile it seemed.  
  
"Two days. At least." She said, nonchalantly, still not even giving the now angered Exo a look.  
  
"Two days?! At _least_?!" Maeve replied, and offended look on her mechanical face. "Demi, you know what we sorted out, I come here every two weeks for supplies and leave. What the hell is this?"  
  
" _This_ is a priority, you aren't. It's that simple. I'm sorry, but until we get word on a resupply, you'll have to tough it out." Demi explained, almost as if she was used to the temper the long eared Exo exhumed from her face. "Find yourself something to do, and in a few days, come back to me." With an angry mumble from Maeve, she stormed out of the building, and Altium followed shortly behind her, a worried look on her face.  
  
"I can't _believe_ it! What does she think she's doing? The two of us had a deal!" Maeve said with a irritated tone. It was clear to Altium that she wasn't pleased in the slightest.  
  
"Hey hey! Just relax! We have to wait anyways, just... here! I know a good spot away from everything. Just... follow me." The Hunter mentioned, trying to coax her with a nice spot that distanced themselves from the people around. She looked to him, clearly not wanting to, but after thinking on it, a nice place to be mad at would be better than here.  
  
"Fine. Show me." She relented with a huff. At that, the white Exo lead the way to the spot, moving around the building and to the back, taking a brief walk through a treeline, just to be met with a still, tranquil site.  
  
A nice clearing had been made, signs of someone clearing out the few shrubs that had rooted themselves at this otherwise clear view of the lake. The rocky barrier a mere half foot above the water made for a nice seat, staring out into the water, surrounded by the sounds of nature, only the distant sound of the occasional worker or farm animal ruining the immersion.  
  
"So? What do you think?" Altium asked, grunting as he took a seat, letting his feet dip off just above the water.  
  
"Its fine... I guess." Maeve replied, clearly still upset about the news of a two day wait.  
  
"Good. Good. So... to change the subject, what brought you out here to the EDZ anyways? Vanguard assign you here?" Altium asked innocently, clearly unaware at the deep wound that sat within Maeve, who recoiled at the question. Her anger was quickly replaced with an almost offended anxiety. She _knew_ what it was, but telling someone that she just met _that_? Hell, she wouldn't even tell someone as close as Zenith if he wasn't already...  
  
"Yeah, the Vanguard put me here. Can we talk about something else?" Maeve huffed. This _clearly_ wasn't what she wanted to discuss, and Altium could tell.  
  
"S-sorry... uh... do you have a fireteam?" He asked again, unknowingly digging deeper into the wound. Any form of calm immediately recoiled again, as Maeve looked with a sneer, her fury visible on her face.  
  
"You _really_ aren't helping yourself here. Just go. I'll talk with you later." She said, clearly upset over something, but for Altium, there was difficulty when trying to read _what_ her problem was, and despite that difficulty, he wanted to help.  
  
"Wait. Maeve, what is it?" He asked, a care in his eyes while he tried to find the problem she had. "I know you're mad about the supplies, but what did I say?" He went to take a hand to console her, but was met with a quick turn and a glare that he had never seen before.  
  
" _Leave._ Right now. Don't even think about it." The bronze plated Exo said, her ears sticking up, and a tinge of arc energy sparking between them, almost like two coils sharing energy.  
  
"Maeve, I just want to talk. There's clearly a problem and if it's something I said then I-" He tried to explain, before a flurry of arc energy exploded from her as she threatened a Arc Staff, mere inches from his face.  
  
" **I said, leave!** " She shouted, not caring about being heard at all. " **Now!** "  
  
Altium held up his hands and began to back away, certainly surprised and frightened at the sight. "Woah! Woah! Woah! Don't do anything! I'll leave! I'll leave... I just..." He began to try and convince, but letting out a sigh, moving away quickly and hastily. Leaving the Exo to herself as she stared with anger, before being replaced with a sadness, feeling her ears lower as she silently let out a whimper, sitting back down at the edge of the ridge, her feet dangling much like his did.

* * *

_I... I wish he never came back..._ Maeve felt her Ghost leave her as the past few months went through her head on repeat. _Everything that he did to me... to us... why would she just forgive him like that? She, more than anyone else, knows the pain that he caused... _She took her hands and put them to her head, as if to think that everything she had done was a mistake. Doubt, regret, anger, sadness- All of it swirled in her mind as she struggled to think straight.  
  
_"What would you do if it was me? What if he killed me? Would you do the same thing?"_ She remembered asking the Awoken as she stood between herself and Uldren. Her reaction to the question was that of pain, for them both and for   
  
_"Maeve I-"_ She had begun, some kind of excuse, that was all she knew, and she didn't want anything to do with it.  
  
_"Don't avoid the answer! Would you or no!?"_ She said again, the demand for an answer behind her voice. Aether looked with sadness, looking over to Uldren, over to where Cayde used to lounge, and finally, back to her.  
  
_"Yes..."_ She answered, letting out a sigh as she lowered her head, knowing that the only answer that Maeve _didn't_ want to hear was 'Yes.'  
  
That was the last word she had heard from Maeve. After almost two whole months away, here she was, still sulking, driving away someone who just wanted to help. She found herself sitting there, thinking over it all, still filled with indecisiveness, and as the day began to turn to the afternoon, the evening, and finally, the beginning of the night.

* * *

Altium spent the rest of the day just thinking. To him, everything he did meant nothing more than something to talk about, but he had somehow made it worse. How? She seemed fine, just distant, even when they were trying to save their Ghosts, there was almost a sense of distance. Her actions were fine, the best even, but personality wise, there was next to nothing.  
  
When he found the night approaching shortly, he considered where to rest, a place that not many would know so he could grab some shut eye, and when he neared the Farm, he knew exactly where to go. Though, something seemed to scratch his mind. Maeve, the one he had been pushed away by, was the person he thought of, and considering how long he had been away, it wouldn't be a surprise to see her already gone, possibly back to her camp despite a lack of supplies. He was proven wrong when he saw her sitting there in a more hunched over look than from before, but otherwise, she was still in the same spot.  
  
"Maeve...?" He asked, her head flinching at the sound of his voice. It seemed that he was the only one to actually notice her, and she seemed to have forgotten. Not a word left her mouth as she huffed, adjusting in her seat as she watched the orange sun slowly turn the sky to a deep blue. Altium sighed; He didn't want to make it worse, but looking at her, her whole face appeared gloomy- her bronze plating being complimented by the dimming glow of the sun while her face only held sadness- it didn't sit right with him. He _hated_ seeing someone like this. "I was going to go and get some rest, I thought I would offer a better spot than some rocks." He added, trying his best to sound polite.  
  
The Hunter looked to him, her eyes narrowed at first, before loosening. She still seemed... _upset_ , but also able to look past it for the time being. "What spot?" She asked coldly. Altium's reply was slow, caught up in her eyes as they seemed to relax, before realizing what she had said.  
  
"O-oh. Uh... I can show you. It's at the Farm- er- on _top_ of the Farm actually." He spoke, trying his best to be clear in his words. Her response was a huff, her legs moving to help herself up, signaling Altium to lead them to the spot. He brought them both to the barn with the ship that _always_ seemed to be in need of repair, and he went up to the next floor, heading to a hole in the rafters that teased the clear now-night sky. With a quick hop with the help of the railing, he found his way up, and he soon looked back down to offer a white hand to the woman he had met.  
  
With a roll of the eyes, she jumped up herself, ignoring his offer before landing gracefully next to him. "I can handle myself, thank you." She said, watching him stand back up as he moved to the other side of the roof.  
  
"This spot is pretty quiet at night, and... well... I'll let the sight speak for itself." He explained as he stopped, settling down and leaning back onto the roof, looking up to the star-dotted sky with his hands behind his head. She looked with an eye roll before laying down a few feet away from him, giving the sky a chance to impress her.  
  
And it did... the sky being a blend of blues, faint violets being added by the distant rumble of the Shard. As off-putting as it was to see it when she looked forward, it was... calming. Like the feeling of being near the Traveler, but with a loss of the ambiance of the always-bustling City. For most, it would be a downside, but to Maeve, it was nice to feel close to what gave her another chance at life, and she had this alabaster Exo to thank, as he just seemed to gaze lovingly up into the sky.  
  
To Maeve, Altium was a strange case. This one person, despite having met him only a few days prior, was... different. It was as if ever since she saw him... something was prying at her about him. It wasn't good... and it _certainly_ wasn't bad, but she couldn't seem to figure out what that feeling was, so she pushed it aside, looking to him for another moment before silently appreciating the sky above.  
  
There were a few moments when Altium sneaked in a glance at Maeve, interested as to what she would do, if she would leave, or if she would say. He wanted to say something, to ask again about her fireteam, what her problem was, or anything at all, but he held his tongue, because this moment was one that felt like it would be the start of something different.  
  
And if only he knew how soon he would learn that it would _certainly_ be different.


	3. V of Staves // II of Blades: The Farm, II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Altium and Maeve grow closer together as the morning comes.

As their time star gazing came to a close, the two Hunters settled themselves on the roof of the decrepit barn, not caring about the dangers of rotting wood or being seen. Around the Farm, the early risers made themselves apparent, just as the sun rays began to tear through the clouds.  
  
Altium was the first to wake, finding himself still on the roof, looking to his side, where the bronze Exo he had become familiar with laid. Her plating was almost that of a marigold, the yellow sunlight mixed with her brown, creating that familiar orange-gold that the flower was known for. There was a feeling that Altium felt, looking at her like this. This Exo that had shown nothing but her cold exterior, the part of herself that she wanted to appear to everyone; He actually _enjoyed_ being around her, despite how she had acted earlier, he enjoyed seeing her, talking with her, being with her. It was almost like...  
  
Altium shook his head. _No. No way, she's just trying to find her way, you're just helping her, she doesn't actually think the same way about you._ He assured himself, sitting up and putting his hands on his knees, looking out to the Shard of the Traveler in the distance, slowly soaking in the view that laid before him.

* * *

Maeve woke up shortly after to the feeling of the sun, tickling her eyes like a feather against the skin. As she opened her eyes to find what laid before her, she took notice to the already awake Exo beside her. This alabaster Hunter that she had come across by chance, and the one that had, for some reason, decided to stick with her, was still at her side, silently appreciating the Farm for the sights it held. At a glance, she could already see people moving shipments, rushing with supplies from one place to another, and even civilians appreciating it all, much like they were.  
  
However, her eyes went back to the Exo that sat beside her, a nameless feeling that filled her as she watched him silently. She wanted to say something, but no words seemed to justify speaking. It almost made her feel... _vulnerable._ Soon, those thoughts that had drowned her out had returned, and she adjusted herself in her makeshift seat, unknowingly catching the attention of Altium.  
  
"You get some sleep?" He asked, his arms now placed on the same knee, his other leg sprawled out lazily. Maeve felt her voice return, and with it, her cold facade she had grown so accustomed to.  
  
"Yeah. I did." She said, short but to the point. Altium's earpiece tilted to the side slightly, as if not content with the answer.  
  
"Well... are you still upset about yesterday?" He asked, his words slowing as he finished, almost as if he was trying to be polite despite how fresh the moment was for them both. She felt conflicted, and, for the first time in a long, isolated month, she didn't know if she felt comfortable pushing someone else away, someone who just wanted to help.  
  
"No... I-" She began, her voice faltering as her facade tried its best to take control. "I didn't expect you to still be here, that's all." She managed to get out, not a falter in the rest of her words as she turned to look to the distance, avoiding Altium's gaze. Despite that, it _hurt._ It felt as thought every single time she had pushed someone away came back to her. With Zenith, with Aether, with... _everyone_. She was tired of it! It didn't feel right now! It never did! So why was she doing this to herself?! Pushing away friends? Denying new ones? She had to say something, anything to try and keep this going, just to talk. "Altium, I-"  
  
"Listen, I don't want to cause anything like yesterday, so..." He said, letting out a grunt as he went to stand on the roof, stretching. To Maeve, it was now or never. She didn't want to keep living like this. "Just get me when you get word of our supplies and I'll stay-"  
  
"Right here..." She managed to spit out, finding herself with her arm lurched out, clasped against his hand, grabbing his attention. He looked to her with a sense of confusion and... something else, but before he could detest or ask why, she continued. "P-please... just stay right here..." She asked, her tone turning softer than what he had grown used to. "I... I just want to talk."  
  
"Okay..." Altium said, his tone shifting as well. He was surprised to see this from someone like her. Being pushed away made him think that leaving her alone was the best choice, but he sat back down, arms on his knee, and he continued. "What did you want to talk about?"  
  
"I-I know that I snapped at you yesterday... and I... I had a good reason for it." She explained, watching as Altium took each word with care, keeping his attention on her. "You asked about my... fireteam... and I feel that, since you've been so helpful, you deserve to know why I'm out here away from them..." With another move from Maeve, she sat up, mirrored like Altium, her arms sat on one knee while the other laid sprawled out.  
  
"My fireteam... we... we'd been through a lot. And... more recently, we had something come up from a while ago and I just... couldn't handle it. So I left, and I decided to camp out here. The Farm feels better that the Tower... it's... a breath of fresh air. Same with the EDZ. After you look past the... Cabal and the Fallen trying to capture your Ghost and everything... it's nice." She said, holding back the deeper truth beneath it.

* * *

Despite it being almost a year back, the memories of the last time with Cayde were fresh in Maeve's mind. It probably was the same for both Zenith and Aether, but she could almost remember the entire day like she was there...  
  
"Alright fireteam, everyone read?" Cayde asked, his ship waiting in low orbit at the Reef for them, his voice ringing through the comms.  
  
"We hear you Cayde..." Aether said with a chuckle. "You read?"  
  
"Crystal." He said, an almost audible thumbs up coming from him as his ship moved. "We'll be landing right outside the Prison, you got it team?"  
  
"Cayde... we're following right behind you. You don't have to direct _everything._ " Zenith chimed in, a confidence in his voice ever since Aether had pep-talked him into this mission. Before another word could be spoken, they entered the landing zone, and with how Cayde did things, it was going to be a tight transmat, especially for the three of them at the same time, but, with no mistakes, the three of them managed to land, already stepping forwards, gear on and faces covered, aside from the always helmet-less Cayde, who walked alongside them towards a bright velvet haired Awoken, a patch covering an eye as she kept her arms crossed.  
  
"Petra Venj. Thanks for the invite! Whatcha packing for this party?" He asked, his jovial self as memorable as ever.  
  
"Meh, the usual." She replied, a smirk growing on her face as she pulled out a dagger.  
  
"Ooh! Do the thing!" He says, eager like a child with a gift as he turned to both Maeve and Zenith, leaning in with an almost hushed tone. "I don't know if Heart- er- Aether told you about it, but seriously, check this out." He adds, a muffled giggle could be heard from behind Aether's helmet as they all watched. Petra took a moment, and forced the dagger to float above her hand.  
  
"Eugh! That'll never not freak me out." He said with a shudder, before looking back to the dagger. "Do it again."  
  
"Later..." She said, ready to look away before looking back to him. "Maybe. Right now, gen-pop is running wild. Fortunately, the main area and lower levels are still on lockdown, but, if the core security systems fail... Containment is going to be... _a problem_. Aether, you're running point with me, you two, try to keep him on track." She said, looking to the Warlock before heading off. Cayde took no time at all to look back to the other two Exos whilst reloading his trademark hand cannon.  
  
"Sounds like just another day at the office." Cayde said, his cocky Hunter nature shining through like a spring morning. "Alright team, this is a Cayde riff in 6, I want you two to watch me for the changes, and... uh... try to keep up! Now, who wants to go to prison?" He asked excitedly, like he always did when he was actually put out into the field. Before any of us could say a word, he jumped off the ledge, heading down face first into danger.  
  
If only he knew what Maeve and her fireteam knew now. That this would be his last call.

* * *

"Maeve?" Altium asked, a moment passing for him as he tried to grab her attention. The past year came to Maeve at once, making her visibly recoil.  
  
"Uh- yeah. I... was just thinking..." She answered, looking off again, now focused back on their conversation. "I haven't spoken to them... in a few months. I don't know if they worry about me or not... and, sometimes I hope they do, while other times I... I..." She tried to say, before a hand touched her shoulder, turning to see Altium.  
  
"Just... don't think about it." He said, keeping his hand on her as he sat closer to her than before. He looked off to the view again, more people moving about than before. "We should probably get moving before-" He began again, moving to get up before she wrapped around him, her arms going underneath his.  
  
"Can we... stay here... just for a little longer?" She asked, a timidness in her voice as she did.  
  
"Y-yeah... we can." Altium replied, a faint blush hidden from her view as he embraced her. "As long as you want." He offered, feeling a sniffle come from the Exo. Right there, in the alabaster embrace of the Exo that she had wanted to stay, the bronze Hunter did something that she avoided doing ever since she had reset herself for the fifth time.  
  
 _She cried._  
  
Silently, relieved with each huff and sniffle, she cried, just as the day began.


	4. V of Staves: The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious bad dream... a history pressed into her subconscience, leaving no memories, but instead feelings... 
> 
> If you're smart enough, you can just look at this summary and know to use 32bit decrypter on the strange messages, but what do I know?

* * *

**The Dream**

* * *

Some nights, when Maeve went to sleep, her mind lingered in the moments between rest and consciousness. She never remembered the dreams she would have in that state, but she always felt the emotions. Despite how rare it was to occur, it was just as rare to have a dream like that that felt good.  
  
As she faded to this in-between state, her heart sank as she felt... _[hollow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM5hlrkaPSo&ab_channel=vvmtest).  
_

* * *

Her subconscious scoured through her memories, everything was accessible, but none of it was memorable, except for the feeling. Five resets. Five chances to do things right, and her fourth time was more than a mistake, it was a series of them. Pearl never told her about it, but she knew what she did, deep down, in that pit where all her emotions went, something deeper than the heart, but the opposite of the soul. It consumed her, it _ate_ at her, it wanted to consume her, even a mind wipe later, but it was just the lingering feeling, that scar, so deep that it only surfaced on the bleakest of nights.  
  
"IRXW4J3UFQQHA3DFMFZWKICJE5WSAYTFM5TWS3THEB4W65JAOBWGKYLTMUWCA2TVON2CA3DFMF3GKIDNMUQGC3TEEBWXSIDGMFWWS3DZEBQWY33OMUQHA3BN" The voice of a woman screamed out. Her words were nonsense, a thick, heavy slash _silencing her cries._ She didn't know how, but she knew that the woman was afraid, even up until the end.  
  
"JVQWK5TFFYXC4IDUNBUXGIDJOMQHI2DFEBXW43DZEB3WC6JMEBESO3DMEBUGK3DQEB4W65JAO5UGK3RANF2CA23JMNVXGIDJNYWCA2JAOBZC2===" A tender voice began, one that was more familiar in tone, but still so scrambled amidst her memories that it was uninterpretable.  
  
"LFXXKIDNMFSGKIDUNBSSAY3IN5UWGZJOEBMW65JANRUXMZJAO5UXI2BAORUGKIDDN5XHGZLROVSW4Y3FOMXCAWLPOUQGGYLOE52CAZLTMNQXAZJANF2C4===" One last voice spoke calmly, condescending towards her, and it even almost sounded like...  
  
 _Hers_.

* * *

Suddenly, Maeve shot awake, her mind racing at a million thoughts a moment, the dream was stuck in a deep confusion, so deep that she forgot about forgetting it. But even in the calm wooded area, hidden away from everyone, that residual fear of something she didn't understand remained, and she _hated_ the feeling.  
  
"Maeve?" Pearl's reassuring voice chimed in, now hearing her gasps for air, appearing beside her and looking tenderly to her Guardian.  
  
"I have to go. _Don't follow me._ " She said, a demanding tone in her voice at the last part.  
  
Pearl watched as her Guardian made her way out of the tent, heading out to Traveler knows where to relieve herself. It wasn't the first time, but each time it happened, it was unexpected from everyone, and she would normally go out and deal with it in her own violent way. In those moments as she slayed the tens of dozens of Cabal, it felt... relieving. Terrifyingly so. And as she pulled out her Arc Staff, electricity flowing violently around, sparking against the air itself, Pearl couldn't help but feel bad, knowing what she was dealing with.  
  
Five resets... over Maeve's time as a Guardian, Five resets was the same as a human living a whole century. All those moments, all those feelings, all of it was repressed each time she wiped her mind and started anew, and Pearl knew it.  
  
But she never had the hear to ever tell her. And she never would. Maybe other Exos worked the same, maybe Maeve was a special case. Questions a guardian had about their past were frowned upon, and for an Exo, looking into their past _lives_ was discouraged even more.  
  
Some questions... were left to go unanswered. Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something to write while I plan out the next chapter.


	5. V of Staves // II of Blades: A Talk

"Altium..." Ineus spoke out to the tired Exo as he sat against a ridge, peering down at the Gulch before them. "Altium?" She asked again, this time a bit more flat in her delivery, as if she didn't want to put in the effort to sound concerned.  
  
"Yeah? I'm trying to watch this big tunnel the Cabal made, I don't think you saw it..." He jested, moving the brush to the side, revealing the view he had grown tired of over the past day.  
  
"Your times up, Devrim just sent the O.K. back to me, we're good." She said, her shell twisting as if to emphasize a relieved sigh.  
  
"Alright, what's next on the agenda today?" He asked, taking a moment to step back into the tree line, stretching as they talked.  
  
"No. Altium. We're _good_ good. We can head back." She said, as if to make it clear to him.  
  
"Damn. It's been a month already?" He said, almost surprised at the thought. It _did_ seem to pass faster whenever anything interesting happened, especially whenever it was with Maeve.  
  
"Yeah, and we're using up our free time standing here, we should head back." She replied, eager to go back home and relax, even if it was for a few weeks. Ineus was a hard worker as much as she was a ready-to-relax kind of Ghost. Putting her all into it, but nothing extra after the fact.  
  
"Alright, we will. Just go ahead and-" He began, before reaching to his side to pull out his shortsword, only to feel nothing there. One pat later, still nothing. The Hunter tilted his head back and let out a groan, clearly irritated at his mistake. " _And_ my shortsword's still over at Maeve's camp. Great."  
  
"That's fine, go ahead and start walking, I'll call the ship over to the Cove. Maybe you can even say your goodbyes to your _partner_ in crime." She said, emphasizing 'partner' in an obvious fashion. He looked to her before she entered his armor, not even managing to get a word out. _'Did she... tease me about partnering up with Maeve? No, no, that'd be absurd. Partners in crime, we did break into a prison...' _He thought before shaking it off, quick enough for her to not notice it.

* * *

Maeve stood out of her tent with an early morning fire prepared, ready to cook her meal to start the day off. Pearl fluttered nearby, watching the fire alongside the Exo as she poked the fire with a long, dampened branch. As the Ghost looked over to her, a message from Ineus pinged in her systems.  
  
"So... Ineus messaged me about... Altium's shortsword? Do you know if it's here?" She asked politely, looking to the bronze plated Exo, who looked to be deep in thought. "Maeve?" She asked, this time a bit closer to one of her earpieces, sending her out of her thought.  
  
"Huh? What? Sorry..." She began, finishing with the fire before focusing on Pearl. "Altium's sword is right... _here_." She said, looking to his usual seat at the fire where a short, sheathed sword sat. Moving to grab the shortsword, she couldn't help but observe it, and how... _attuned_ it felt to her Light... almost like it was meant for it. They _were_ both Arc users, so it wouldn't be _that_ surprising... maybe she could ask him once he got here... maybe she could...  
  
"Everything alright?" Pearl asked her again, a look of almost worry in her core.  
  
"Yeah, everything's alright I'm just... thinking. That's all." She said as she started to think again.  
  
"Maeve... I know it's been a while since I asked... but... when do you think you're going to come back?" The glistening shell asked, fluttering to face her with her always hopeful stare. Maeve seemed to think again, looking to her directly, before turning to the side.  
  
"I... I don't know... I just... don't know." She answered, a faltering confidence in her voice.  
  
"You've been away from everyone for _two months..._ I... I think it's time you came back." Pearl said, trying to reassure her. Maeve looked to her, that uncertainty in her eyes as she teased the idea in her head.  
  
"I..." She started, her earpieces lowering as if to stop herself. "I don't know... I'm sorry..." She looked down to the side, her mind thinking of both options carefully, but before she could make up her mind, she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Maeve? Pearl?" Altium voiced, the sound of brush moving as he stepped into the small Exo-made clearing that was her camp. "Oh! You found it!" The alabaster Exo said, moving closer to them as he grabbed the sword from her hands, attaching it back to his thigh, as it normally was.  
  
"Yeah... I did." She said, acting like her cold self in an instant as her ears raised back up.  
  
"Well, thanks. I was looking for it since I'm getting ready to head back." He said, looking to her finally, his white eyes seemingly influencing her weighed options.  
  
"Wait... head _back_ _?_ " She inquired, leaning forward slightly. "You mean... you're heading back to the Tower?"  
  
"Sure am! Just wanted to make sure I had everything on me. Y'know?" He said with a chuckle. "Can't leave anything of mine here, unless I want a Dreg turning my sword into a new Shock Dagger, and I don't think _you_ would use a shortsword, considering how well versed you are with that pole of yours." He teased.  
  
She opened her mouth, ready to deliver a rebuttal, but she stopped, asking something instead. "Would you... take me with you?" At the question, Altium seemed to shake his head slightly, as if to make sure he didn't mishear her.  
  
"Well- uh- as long as you had everything on you, I'd be fine with giving you a trip back to the Tower, considering the help you've given me while we've been out here." He said, smirking to her kindly, crossing his arms as he looked to her. "Did you want to?"  
  
Pearl's core glanced over to her almost eagerly, and, even without a word spoken between the Huntress and her Ghost, Pearl was practically screaming at her to say yes. "No! No... I was just... wondering. That's all." She said, trying to treat her question as nonchalantly as possible. Altium's smirk stayed, unbothered by her declining. "That's fine. You were the one asking, so I thought I might as well offer it." He said, getting up to stretch. "Well, Maeve, thanks for the help this month. I don't think I'd be here if it weren't for you helping out with that break in." His hand extended, offering it to her as she sat there, and after a moment, she took it, shaking it awkwardly yet as kindly as she could.  
  
"You too. I'd be lying if I said you didn't help make this month fly by." She said, thinking to herself about everything they had done in the past month. "Stay safe out there, Altium."  
  
"Same to you, Mae." He said, teasing her with a impromptu nickname, before turning away to leave. "Take care!"  
  
She seemed taken aback by the nickname, the one that Zenith and Aether had given her, something to tease her slightly, although she didn't mind. She wanted to say something as he disappeared through the tree line, but he was gone before she could speak her mind to him.

* * *

Maeve thought about everything that had lead up to this moment. From Cayde's death, Uldren's death, his return from the grave, and now, an Alabaster Exo she had just let walk away, possibly never to be seen by her again. As she laid there where he sat, the warm amber fire being her only source of light, she took a chance. A chance to make sure none of her fears would happen.  
  
"Pearl?" She asked, the uncertainty in her voice now replaced with hope, hope in something better than _this._  
  
"What is it?" The Ghost replied, appearing beside her, a shiny outline as the fire cast a shadow onto her face.  
  
"How long would it take for you to call the ship over?" She asked, watching as her Ghost's core seemed to process her out-of-the-ordinary question.  
  
"Maeve? You want to go back? Didn't you just-" Her shell twisted, as if to show confusion and excitement, before Maeve cut her off.  
  
"Just... tell me how long it would take."  
  
"I could get it here by breakfast." She answered, looking hopeful to the bronze Exo. "Do you want me to call it over?"  
  
Maeve nodded, looking to her with the faintest of smiles. "Yes, call it over. I'll start packing." She sat up, ready to move to the tent before Pearl got in front of her.  
  
"No, you need some sleep. I'll handle the packing until the sun comes out. Just rest. Please?"  
  
"Alright... thanks, Pearl." Maeve said, before adjusting back onto her warm seat beside the fire.  
  
She meant it in more than one way, not just for the tent, but for sticking with her, even when she acted unkempt towards her Ghost, when she was at her lowest. Pearl helped her realize it, and so did Altium. Everything she was doing to get away from her problem only made it worse, for her and for her friends, and she didn't want to lose Aether, Zenith, or even Altium, despite how fresh their friendship was. She felt, brighter around him, almost like something was shining through. As she slowly drifted off into a slumber, she couldn't help but smile with a newfound drive to make things right, despite how hard it would be.  
  
She'd take care of it... one step at a time...


	6. V of Staves // II of Blades: The Tower, Part I

"Maeve... are you sure that you're ready for this?" Pearl's soft tone fills her Hunter's ears as the ship closes in to the Tower. Two months they had been gone, and here they were coming back, unannounced to anyone. Not even Aether or Zenith. The bronze-plated Hunter looked to her floating companion with a sense of doubt before shaking off the feeling, that sense of drive from the night before taking her over again.

"Pearl, I  _ need _ to do this." She explains, and in her head, she was right. After all this time, it was either making things right with Aether and Zenith, or refurbish her ship to make room for a whole house. There was no turning back as the static of feedback from the Tower entered her ship's range. "While we're getting settled, could you... contact Altium?"

"Okay! Did you want me to... call him?" She offered the Huntress, her core looking to her with an anxious look.

"N-no! Just... tell him that we're here... please?" She pleads at first, before playing it off as she continues. As the last of the landing maneuvers were performed as she found herself back in the all-too-familiar hangar. Guardians, faction workers, and Civilian mechanics learning from the famed Amanda Holiday were scattered about the landing bay, and, amidst them all, she saw a familiar face.

Zenith-3, the Titan and surrogate younger brother to Maeve. His child-like love for gold made him stand out like a sweet, sore thumb, while his eyes darted around the hangar like a kid separated from his mother, merely searching for her once again. When his eyes locked with the Huntress', he practically tore through the few crowds that were in his way, almost shouting as he grew closer to her.

"Mae? Mae! Oh my bubbles it's you!" He calls out, nearly knocking over a worker carrying a heavy crate as the golden Titan ran to his well-missed sister. "You've been gone for so long! I-I..." He tries to explain, before stopping, raising his arms, and pulling her into a hug.

"It's good seeing you too, Zen." She chuckles, feeling the Titan embrace her more than she could ever embrace him. "So... what's been going on while I've been away?"

"Well... me and Aether were out helping Crow with his bounties when..." He begins to explain, before remembering that Crow was why she left in the first place. "Oh... I shouldn't have said that... please just don't leave again..."

The Hunter stared at her Exo brother, confused and curious all the same. "What do you mean?" His hug pulled her in close, and she was helpless to his barrage of care.

"Last time Crow was here... y-you left... I don't want you to go again..." The golden-clad Titan says, his voice cracking slightly at even the thought. The Hunter's façade faltered for a moment as she tightened her own embrace around him.

"I'm here for good. I promise. But... I need you to tell me where Aether is." She asks, looking into the twinkling dual-colored eyes of the towering toddler.

"W-well Aether and Crow were just going to see Banshee... even though he doesn't like talking to Crow, he still helps him. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk, that's it. We can talk later, okay?"

"Oh... okay..." He says with concern in his eyes, but eventually, he relents.

* * *

Aether stood at the gunsmith table, the sound of Banshee explaining the process of dismantling a rifle being the only thing she could process as she looked to Ace. The hand cannon, monochrome in color, and the design was light, simple, and comfortable, as if it was made to be held with luxury in mind.

Though, with the spades on the sides, the way it handled, and even with the forgetful Gunsmith’s adjustments, it didn’t feel like hers. It wasn’t hers. It belonged to Cayde, and he was gone now, with nothing but this gun, his sparrow and ship, all left to her. If she didn’t know of the emotional weight Ace held to Cayde, she’d disregard it all, knowing that none of what he owned mattered, she’d just want him. His will told her otherwise. It assured her that he was with Ace, and since the gun was now in Aether’s hands, Cayde would always be by her side.

“Spades?” Crow’s voice cut her thoughts short, and with the turn of her head, she glanced to him, still finding discomfort looking him in the eyes.

“What is it, Crow?” She asks, as kindly as she can muster. His section of the workspace was littered with weapon parts, magazines, scopes, and everything a novice gunsmith could dream of having.

“Are you sure this is worth it?” He says, his amber eyes offering a knowing look.

“What do you mean?” Aether raises a brow slightly, not fully understanding.

“We’ve come out here every day, just as the sun comes out, and we don’t even spend that much time here!” He says, letting out a discouraged sigh. “I still don’t even know how to dismantle a rifle, and we’ve been at this for two months…”

Aether gives a tired look to the Awoken, stepping back slightly to look through the vendor window, making sure no early risers were making their way to Banshee just yet. “Crow… you know why we have to… do things this way. If we did this for any longer, then we’d be risking way… too…” The Warlock trails off as she glances outside once again, only to see Maeve staring back to her.

“Hey…” The Exo says awkwardly, staring blankly towards the Awoken that was now practically tripping over everything in her path just to come and hug her friend.

“Where have you been Mae?!” Aether says, her voice cracks with joy as tears form in her shut eyes. “You Hunters are so bizarre… leaving everyone for months at a time.”

“I-” Maeve tries to say before being cut off by a tighter squeeze from the Warlock.

“It doesn’t matter… I’m just glad to have you back.” Aether says, looking her up and down as a single tear breaks away from her eye.

“Spades? Just tell me what-” Crow’s voice came from the Gunsmith’s workstation as he looked through the window, cutting himself off as he made eye contact with the Hunter that had threatened him before. Immediately, Mae flinched, recognizing his voice and face. She went forwards to come speak with him, but Aether took her hand around her chest.

“I just want to talk to him…please.” She looks to Aether, and she can tell that she means no harm. With nervous strides, she nears the window, where the Forsaken Prince coldly stares back, something different from what she had seen when they had their first encounter.

“Exo… I told you before, I have done  _ nothing  _ to you. All of you keep trying to-” Crow begins to rant, anger bubbling from his words.

“I’m here for my friend, not you.” She says, the Exo staring him down as a flicker of arc energy dances around her optics, before she turns away from him. “I’ll be out for a walk. Ping me if you need me.” She says as she heads off towards the Bazaar.

Silently, she walks towards the marketplace, before the familiar, iridescent shell of Pearl appeared ahead of the Huntress. Her ghost looked to her worryingly, scared for what she may be thinking. She didn’t know what Maeve was thinking, but she always hoped for the best.   


“Maeve… are you going to be alright?” She asks as Maeve pulled her hood down slightly.

“Yeah… I just need a moment. Stay here and do your… Ghost thing until I come back.” She explains, heading off to a place she had kept secret to everyone but herself. A private rooftop where she would be left to her thoughts.

A place where she felt at peace.

* * *

“Pearl pinged right around here…” Ineus said as her black and yellow shell scanned the Bazaar. Suddenly, she focuses right where the shiny shell has left herself, idly waiting for her Guardian to return.

“O-Oh it’s you two! Uhm… are you two alright? I hope that you haven’t gotten into any trouble since we last met.” The Ghost says, concern in her voice.

“We are Pearl. It’s good seeing you.” Altium says with his trademark smirk before looking with a concern of his own. “How about Mae… I heard from you that you both came here… is she…?”

“She’s fine. She talked with Uldre- I mean Crow- and now she’s out on her own somewhere around here.” She says, looking down but hopeful in the fact that she’d return.

“I’ll go look for him, you stay here with Pearl, Ineus.”   
  
“Are you sure? Just incase she-”

“Pearl said Mae would be fine, I just want to be sure. Don’t worry.” Altium nods his thoughts lingered on her… something deeper than what a friend would feel, but after a moment, he pushed it aside, now focused on making sure Maeve,  _ his friend _ , was alright.


	7. V of Staves // II of Blades: The Tower, Part II

Maeve sat looking skyward, her thoughts were of her friends, rivals, and the moments that had led up to this day. The way Zenith and Aether reacted to seeing her again reminded her that she had people who cared, and even with seeing _him_ again, she was afraid to isolate herself again. There wouldn’t be another person to offer their help like Altium. How in every action, there was genuine care. His dashing, pure white optics and his handsome-yet-mischievous smirk came together to…

“Wait… why am I thinking about this right now?” Maeve asked herself, her thoughts seemingly sticking to the Bladedancer from before.

“Thinking about what right now?” Altium’s voice came from below as he planted a hand onto the rooftop, before pulling himself up beside the seated Huntress.

"H-How…?! Why are you up here?” She asks, leaning back in surprise for a moment before putting her facade back on.

“I mean… you _did_ ping me and said you were coming back, so I thought I would come by and say hey.” He says as he takes a seat beside her, looking forwards into the City, where the Traveler, shattered and idle, floated overhead.

“Well… Hey.” She jests, something rare for the Huntress. Altium, after looking for a moment, let out a chuckle.

“Joking now, are we?” Altium adjusts in his seat as he looks to her with a smirk.

“Yeah…” She replies, letting out a gentle smile of her own, one that the alabaster Exo seemed to miss.

“Good… good… I hope I’m not interrupting… you know, anything important.” He looks to her, curious

“You aren’t… I’m just thinking.” She says, her arm propped against her knee as she focuses on the view more than her visitor.

“Did you want to talk about it?” He looks over, hoping to have his friend open up to him.  
  
“No.” She says bluntly, making Altium take a moment to process the answer.

“O-Oh… alright then… I guess we can just… quietly admire the view?” He stammers out before falling silent.

As silence fills the air between the two Exos, the sounds of the City begin to surround them, people’s faint calls and conversations can be heard alongside the roars of ships carrying people and cargo to their destined locations. Altium silently turns his head towards the idle bronze-shimmering Maeve, before turning back, pondering over a question.

“Why here?” He spurts out, sending Maeve back to reality.

“What?” Confusion covers her face as she asks back.

“I mean, why do you come here of all places to relax?” Altium lays back and looks skywards, clouds and fragments of the Traveler dancing about.

“I…” She starts, asking herself if she should even give an answer. “I come here because it’s a place away from everything. It helps me think.”

“Are you… alright? S-Should I go?” He asks, preparing to stand at the word.

“No.” She says, before thinking over it and clearing her throat. “I’m fine. Just stay here.”

Time passes as the bronze and alabaster Exos admire the view, before long, a familiar voice from below breaks the silence.

“Maeve…? Altium…?” Pearl’s nervous voice calls out. “Where are you?”

Maeve rolls her eyes and smirks, her mouth opens up and she gives out a reply. “Up here Pearl.”

Her Ghost’s eye quickly turned to face her, and followed shortly behind the now zooming Pearl was Ineus, who was casually following along. “Mae! Sorry for bothering, but… Zenith wanted to celebrate you coming back by going out to eat at the Bazaar.”

“Tell him I’m coming.” She nods gently, looking to Altium, as if to extend the offer with her hand out for him.  
  
“Ramen sounds good right about now, I wouldn’t mind tagging along.” He says, grabbing her hand, pulling himself up, and following along, ready to meet whoever Zenith was.

* * *

“Hey, Aether?” Zenith innocently asked, looking over to the green-eyed Warlock that he was following. Ikora had invited the Awoken Warlock to help with settling in a new Guardian, and Aether was more than happy to help.

“What’s up, Zenith?” She asks, taking a glance at her companion, treating him almost how a mother would a child. Something seemed to excite him, his eyes were shivering with anticipation at his own words, and his teal-colored backlight lit up as he spoke.

“Do you want to come eat ramen with me and Mae?” His words almost stumble over each other as he spits out the question. To the civilians nearby, the golden Titan’s words would have been unintelligible, but to Aether, she was able to hear him clearly.

“Sure! What time are we going?” She turns to fully look to her friend, Ikora and the New Light both were sharing words as Zenith now realized that his plan wasn’t going to be as accomplished as he had poorly planned out.

“Uh… w-well…” He says, voice faltering as he looked down, before Dakini- his retrowave colored, Harpy-shelled Ghost- began to speak for the childish Titan.

“Zenith went ahead and reserved seating… for _all_ of you…” The irritated Ghost sighed, having to deal with this Exo for far too long.

“That’s okay! Let me just… talk with Ikora… and you two can go on without me if I don’t show up.” She says, attempting to get his hopes up. As his eyes lit up, and his smile returned, he nodded.

“Okay! I’ll wait for you!” He says, parting off to move to the Ramen Shop that had amassed Tower fame after the loss of Cayde, now with seating that went all the way to the ledge, allowing for a nice meal and a view of the City below. Zenith waited patiently, looking around every other minute for the Bronze Exo.

“Hey Zen…” Her voice came from behind, and with a quick turn, he watched as she stepped towards the Titan, before being followed by… another Hunter? “Where’s Aether?”

“Uh… she’s with Ikora. Who’s your friend?” He curiously looks over to the white-plated Exo, and he noticed.

“Hey.” He says, raising two fingers, making a ‘v’, almost as if it was his style of wave. “I’m Altium… and you are… Zenith?”  
  
“Yep! Did Maeve tell you about me? Oh! What did she say about me?” He eagerly asked, forgetting that she was right beside him.

“Uh… not much. I just heard your name and decided to tag along. Is that… gold on your face?” He asked, stepping closer. Zenith nods eagerly, and gets up with excitement on his face.

“Yeah! I don’t know when I got it… b-but it looks really cool!” He starts walking, before realizing that he had done anything _but_ tell them where they’d be eating. “Oh- uh- Mae…” He leans closer to his friend. “Are you two _dating?_ ”

* * *

“Ah… Aether Kai. It’s good to see you.” The Warlock Vanguard, Ikora Rey, nodded in recognition of the Awoken woman before her. “This is Tourmaline, one of the newest Warlocks to make their way back to the City.”  
  
The Warlock strides to the side of the Exo in question, her cold steel plating mixed with orange markings and eyes, almost resembling the inside of the Warmind from Mars.

“H-Hello…” Her higher pitched voice sounded nervous and kind, before she met her eyes, even if it was for a moment.

Ikora looked to her with a nod, and then back to Aether. The Awoken looked beyond the two for a moment, noticing Maeve meeting with Zenith, who seemed to be in the midst of conversation.

“I would like it if you would personally show her around the Tower, starting tomorrow of course…” Ikora asked, drawing Aether’s attention to the shy Exo once more. “I have some… _important_ business to attend to, and your help would be appreciated.” The Warlock Vanguard glances upwards, and it’s uncertain if she’s focused on the Traveler… or the Moon beyond it.

Aether, however, was drawn away from the concerned Ikora, now hearing a shout from Mae, one that was… confused?

* * *

“ _WHAT_ ?!?!” She shouted, her face and ears growing red from embarrassment. Altium, who had heard his question, blushed as well. If they never thought about it before, the two now were thinking about the idea, and it was anything _but_ … interesting.

Maeve’s mind raced through the thought of dating someone… _Altium_ for that matter. Sure… he was kind, and seemed to care about her like any other friend would, but there wasn’t anything more than that… was there? Even then… would he like her back? No, of course not, he was just trying to be a friend, a friend that… she liked.

“O-Of course not..” She says, attempting to regain her composure. “Right _Altium?_ ”

Altium’s thoughts were on her, the fact that someone she knew would assume that they were _dating?_ Sure… Maeve was nice… but there was no way that she would even consider him. Besides, he just wanted to help her, considering how she had been dealing with her fireteam, it was nice to have a friend after pushing people away… and he wanted to be sure it stayed that way… even if she was… cute.

“Well…” Altium says, absentmindedly, as Maeve looks to him, studying his words carefully. “Mayb-”

Without a word, warning, or even breath from Maeve, Arc light formed around her hand as she cut down the babbling Hunter instantly, before he could even get a word out. His body disintegrated immediately, before turning into nothing but Arc remnants. Ineus, startled by the entire thing, looked to Maeve in shock.

“Did you just… _kill ALTIUM!?!?”_ She angrily shouted, and Maeve, in response, let out a deep huff, before looking casually.

“There was… a bug on him…” She said, thinking of what was probably the worst excuse ever.

“And you had to _kill him_ to take care of it?!” Ineus asked as she gathered the Hunter’s light, her shell furrowed as she spoke, and it was clear that, although Altium was going to be fine, she was offended.

“It was a… big bug…” She added simply, before looking back to Zenith, as if nothing had happened. “Which table are we at?”

Zenith was surprised, but not worried as he looked to the table in question. “R-Right here… I… I like the view…”

The sound of Altium being brought back took her attention, and he was just… dazed, before snapping back to attention. “Alright, let’s get some food!”

It was clear to Altium that this was _never_ to be mentioned to anyone.

* * *

“Aether?” The surprisingly unaware Ikora, alongside Tourmaline, looked on in confusion. The Awoken was focused on the events behind the two, and she was concerned as to how they would react to such a… ridiculous affair. “Is something wrong?”

“What?” She asks, snapping back to the Warlock Vanguard’s attention. “O-Of course not… I was just… thinking… about where to show Tourmaline first!”

“Well… as I mentioned, you have until tomorrow to decide.” She confirmed with a nod. “Until then, you both are free to leave… I trust that you’ll guide her well, Guardian.”  
  
With that stressful scenario avoided, Aether let out a sigh, walking off to confront her returned friend, Zenith, and the Hunter that had just been brought into this situation.   
  
“Mae?” She asked with confusion and residual shock in her voice as she tried her best to not make the scene more apparent. “What the hell are you doing? You just attacked some random Hunter _in the Tower!_ ” Altium turned to look to the Warlock, and as their eyes met, they… seemed to... _recognize_ each other… and with two more words, those suspicions were confirmed.   
  
“Wait… are you...”   
  



	8. V of Staves // II of Blades: An Old Face and a New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's been a long time coming, let's see if I can keep this light going.

* * *

**_Nessus_ **

**_Six Months after the Red War_ **

* * *

"Ineus, the Vanguard should have pinged you by now. You got any idea why they haven't?" Altium continued walking through the Nessusian foliage, trying his best to get both himself and his Ghost back to the Exodus Black before sundown as he cut through the red vines, burgundy branches, and occasional Vex that got in his way.

"Nope, this isn't like them..." Her voice wasn't helpful, as her concern seeped onto him for a moment. "Something might be wrong, let's just get there and see what Failsafe has for us."

"Right... I'm sure they're just running late or something, not the first time a ship's gone out on anyone." The alabaster Hunter assured, eventually cutting down a thick branch, revealing the vine-covered metal of the Exodus Black below them, a Golden Age colony ship from what he had been told, both from his Ghost and the dysfunctional AI that was Failsafe.

With a quick jump down and a revive from Ineus, the Guardian-Ghost pair found their way inside, seeing an Awoken Warlock who was clad in charcoal-colored robes and gifted with a contrasting head of snow-white hair. Whoever she was, she certainly seemed to be finishing a conversation with Failsafe.

"...and how is _he_ doing?" Failsafe asked, her tone immediately proving to be her moody side, which was a miracle for an AI such as her.

"Cayde's doing well... just busy with paperwork in the Tower... I think he talked about wanting to come back and check on you, actually!" The Awoken's eyes looked to the intelligence core that was the AI.

"Oh, really? How fun!" The AI replied with a joy that was almost _always_ fake. " _Tell him I'm fine... eugh._ " Her negative tone helped show how much distain Failsafe held towards the Hunter Vanguard, and while Altium wasn't there to witness Cayde's foolish escapades, Failsafe made sure to tell him _all_ about it, from the teleporter to the 'being stuck in a time loop until a Guardian came and rescued him'. However, all of those stories were put to the back of his mind as the Awoken turned to leave. "Goodbye, Captain!"

The Captain's eyes looked over Altium, and she seemed to be casual towards him as she approached. "So, what brings you to Nessus, Guardian?"

"Flashpoint... Vanguard doesn't seem to stop handing them out, and now the transport's running late... so I guess me and my Ghost got a fun night ahead of us." He replied, letting out a dry laugh. The Vanguard were organized, but their resources were certainly limited.

"Well... I'm getting ready to head back, _so..._ if you wanted to, I could just take you back now." Her shoulders raised at the playful-but-friendly offer. "You got a name?"

"Yeah, I do." He said with affirmation, ready to give it out without a second thought. "My name's..."

_Altium remembered now, the same hair but longer, the green paint and eyes now abstract with her void-colored scars... and her voice was all too familiar now that he focused on it, now finding himself back in the Bazaar, looking her in the face as Maeve and Zenith looked with confusion and surprise._

* * *

" _Aluminum_?" The voice of Aether asked, and Maeve nearly let out a single, genuine laugh at the name her friend remembered the alabaster Hunter by.

"W-What?!" Altium's ears lowered in irritation for a moment, before raising as he let out a sigh to calm himself. "Hey! It's Altium, alright? _How_ could you even get that wrong?!"

Before the Hunter or Warlock could continue the discussion, a certain childish Titan interjected, looking back to them both over and over. "Wait wait wait... Aether, you _know_ Aluminum?!"

The Awoken, who had planned a snarky reply, couldn’t help but smirk at Zenith’s unintentional assistance, before looking to him with the kindness that any mother would have towards a son. “Well, I don’t _know_ him, I just met him a while back on Nessus, I just thought I recognized that _purple arch_ he has.” The Hunter nearly sneered at the gold-dipped Titan, before letting out a sigh, allowing them both to smile, Aether's being filled with smugness while Zenith’s seemed to almost vibrate with wonder.

“Yeah…yeah… _Captain_.” He shoots back, hoping to get something out of her to no avail. The other Hunter, who had opted to watch everything unfold, let out a sight.

“Hey, Zen, can we get a seat before we have to take this back to the house? I want to eat _before_ tomorrow gets here...” Maeve pulled out a chair at the nearby table, getting seated and pressing herself against the back, watching them all, acting impatient.

“Oh! Right- uh-” The Titan, Warlock, and Hunter all found their seats with the Arcstrider, and with warm bowls of ramen for all of them to eat, they all quietly ate, some chewing louder than others, while small talk was cast back and forth.

“So… you were one of the six who helped with the whole _Kell’s Scourge_ situation?” Aether’s emerald eyes looked to Altium as they all ate, finding herself twirl the last of her noodles into a bite. Altium seemed to be struggling, but managed, eyeing her back.

“Yeah? So I took care of a few Fallen and a giant Servitor mech… what of it?” He seemed carefree over such a big achievement, and the first of them to recognize this was, of course-

“ _WOAH~!_ A giant Servitor? Mech?! Did you blow it up?! You blew it up didn’t you?” Zenith’s eyes seemed to glisten more than the gold that was on his head, looking to him like he was an inspiration larger than any other before him.

“Well…” He begins, letting out a quick chuckle at his reaction. “There were a _few_ … but none were as big as the one that drove the _giant mech_ we had to blow up…”   
  
“ _Pleeeaaase…_ ” Maeve said with a sigh, preparing to slurp the broth that was left in her bowl. “Don’t feed into-”   
  
“How?! Wasn’t it like… bigger than the Traveler!?” He slammed his hands onto the table, splashing some of his food all over it as he leaned into the smirking Hunter.   
  
“It wasn’t _that_ big… I’d say it was.... about as big as the Tower. We had to climb up the thing after we stunned it’s shields… and I took my Arcblade and _stabbed_ that thing right in the eye… covered myself in a shower of Ether…” He leaned back, and looked over to Maeve as she rolled her eyes. Aether seemed to want to ruin the fun, but considered it worthless considering how invested Zenith was at this point.   
  
“ _Awesome~!_ ” He said, falling back into his chair and giggling with glee. “What did you get out of it? Was it a sword?! _Please_ tell me it was a big sword!”   
  
“Zen… relax… you’re asking too many questions.” Maeve jutted in, patting him on the back gently and caringly.

“It’s fine, but no, there wasn’t any big sword, sorry.” He said, sighing in a bit of disappointment, watching as his gold eyes slightly dropped down in disappointment. “So… what’s the whole _Scourge_ thing to you, Aether?”

“Nothing, really. I just saw the Armory marks on your arm, so I thought I would ask.” She shrugged, before setting her empty bowl and fork down.  
  
“Well, I guess it’s nice to finally get noticed for it, not that I want it all the time.” He chuckles and gets up from his seat. “So, Mae, now that you’re back, what’s in your plans?”   
  
She raises the Exo equivalent of a brow and takes a final swig of her drink, before sighing. “I guess I’ll have to keep these two in check… but I don’t think that’ll be too hard.”   
  
“Believe me, Mae, it’s good to have you back.” Aether smiled, looking to her with a genuine appreciation for the Exo.   
  
“Yeah! Now you can tell me those stories before I go to bed!... _Aether was starting to get boring reading Hive stories…_ ” The Titan whispered the last part to Maeve in the worst way possible, considering the Awoken was now right beside him.   
  
“Hey! I tried my best, alright?” The Awoken seemed to gently roll her eyes, before patting his back as a sign to get up.

The four left their seats and talked for a while longer… and as Maeve watched Altium, Aether, and Zenith talk amongst themselves… she couldn’t help but be grateful for her new friend and that she was finally back where she belonged…

 _Home_.


	9. II of Blades: The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One Exo's dream, and now another.

In the distance, a tower stood, dark, cold, and... attractive. Like a moth to a flame, Altium made his way towards it. As many times as he had made the trip, he still found it hard, with his mind screaming at him to stop, that nothing inside would be worth it, but his body said otherwise, climbing, crawling, and sometimes dying just to reach it.

The crunch of snow and ice under his feet was ever so satisfying as he neared the foot of the spire. Sometimes, his mind took over his body again, casting himself into the snow yet again, dying before waking up. Other times, he would fail, heading inside to be met with an emptiness that could drive anything mad. As he stared, his mind clawing yet again for control, he found his footing and turned from the dark tower, the action alone giving him the satisfaction he needed to go on with his plan.

A blind leap into the cold wilds... a quick fall into the ice... and then...

* * *

A cold sweat- or what at least felt like one- broke the Alabaster Exo from his dream, and he quickly leaned up, gasping for a breath his body never needed.

"Altium?" Ineus asked, her shell coming to life as she looked over the Hunter. She was used to it, but even with her casual act, she wanted to make sure he was alright. "You had the dream again?"

"Y-Yeah..." He replied with a weak stammer, holding his shaking hand with the other. "Threw myself... into the canyon again... to get out..." He felt a gentle push against his shoulder, the best that Ineus could do.

"I'm glad to hear it. Maybe you'll hit your head on one of those blocks of ice... put some sense into you." She joked, moving away and looking into his eyes with her core.

He chuckles and gently plants a hand onto her shell, rubbing it gently. "Thanks, Ineus. I can always count on you." With that, he moves and sits at the foot of his bed.

"Not going back to sleep?" She asked, moving to his side as he began to get dressed.

"Nope... I think I'll go around the City today... before we head out." He grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around his neck, finishing the look and letting out a smile.

"Well... you're the one who leads us, so lets get going!"

"Well... maybe we can stop by that Shell Shop, see if anything catches your core?" He smirks and walks out, Ineus already began to nearly twirl her shell with excitement, leading the way out into the City.

Sometimes, dreams were best to be kept as that: Just dreams, and just like dreams, questions were best to be left as questions, without answers...

_ Until the time was right. _


End file.
